Collaborators

Economics and Policy Analysis

Richard Berkson

Richard L. Berkson has more than 30 years’ experience evaluating the fiscal impacts of development proposals, and has prepared financial and fiscal analyses of numerous large-scale, mixed-use projects in San Francisco and the Bay Area. Recently, he managed and wrote the Fiscal Feasibility Report for major development proposals while principal at Economic and Planning Systems: Mission Rock, Warriors Multi-Purpose Venue and the Pier 70 Waterfront Site.

Peter Cheng

ADE has provided economic planning and development services to public and private sector clients since 1985. ADE’s services include economic development, analysis and forecasting, planning, and funding. Mr. Cheng specializes in analyzing and explaining the broader economic effects of development projects and has collaborated with BEI on numerous projects including Facebook and Google studies.

Michelle Nilsson

Nilsson Consulting

Michelle Nilsson has worked on almost all of BEI’s studies as an associate over the last 15 years. She holds an MA from UCLA in urban planning and is based in Los Angeles.

Mark Walsh, CPA

Fiscal Analyst

Mark Walsh specializes in local government finance and communications. For Brion Economics, Inc., Mr. Walsh happily chases down technical information with the exuberance of a yellow lab fetching a soggy tennis ball. Previously he was director of finance for the County of Marin and director of information systems for the County of Sonoma. Mr. Walsh is a recognized expert in accounting and financial analytics, speaking on ratio analysis, technology budgeting, and excellence in management for the Government Finance Officers Association of the US and Canada.

Marian Wolfe, Ph.D.

Marian Wolfe has collaborated on many Brion Economics projects. Dr. Wolfe’s skills in applied economic analysis overlap with Ms. Brion’s in several areas, including analysis of the fiscal impacts of new developments, impact fee studies, and other studies related to development and planning. Dr. Wolfe also conducts housing market analyses for market rate and affordable housing development. In addition to consulting, Dr. Wolfe has also taught Urban Economics at UC Berkeley and the University of Wisconsin.

Legal and Land Use Entitlements

Tim Tosta

Timothy Tosta procures land use entitlements for some of the State’s most complex and controversial development proposals. He was named one of California’s Top Real Estate Lawyers in 2013, citing his work on the Facebook Headquarters Project in Menlo Park. Mr. Tosta offers a diversity of experience in product types, geography, regulatory agencies, environmental issues, and political cultures.

"Well-thought-out solutions"“After several years of working with Joanne through contentious public/private negotiations, I can always trust her ethics, the quality of her analysis, and her dedication to finding well-thought-out solutions.”~ Michael Conlon, Principal, Michael Conlon Consulting